After the Accident
by Reachingthestaars
Summary: Nico di Angelo is sent to a boarding school after the death of his mom and sister. There he meets Leo Valdez, Percy Jackson, and their friends. But, of course, Nico's life can never just be that simple. It only gets crazier. High school AU.
1. Chapter 1

**After the Accident**

_Hey! This is a little short, but the chapters will be longer if you guys want me to continue(:_

_Disclaimer:__ I don't own any of these characters._

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Nico adjusted his grip on his suitcase, aware that other people on the sidewalk were unbelievably annoyed at him for standing there motionless, but he couldn't muster up the energy to care. The sound of heavy traffic filled the air, but Nico wasn't really focusing on it. He was staring up at the dauntingly huge stone school that would be his home for the next nine months.

Glancing back, he discovered that the social worker's car that had brought him there was nowhere in sight. He scowled at the empty parking space. After the last three weeks, he figured that people would be a bit more helpful, instead of just dumping him in front of a strange school armed with nothing but his meager possessions and his new schedule. He pushed the memories of the last few weeks out of his mind, knowing that nothing good would come from it.

Nico took a deep, steadying breath and walked up the school's large stone steps. Pushing open the heavy glass doors, he found the school's lobby bustling with families sending off their children. Nico swallowed the bitter taste that formed in his mouth at the sight and looked down at the schedule he had been given instead. In the corner, it told him his dormroom's number.

Not knowing his way around the school, Nico glanced around the lobby, debating whether or not to ask for help. He saw mothers and fathers hugging their children and ruffling their hair, giving him a painful twinge in his gut, and a few workers behind a main desk. However, most of them were busy with other adults, and Nico didn't feel like waiting or having to explain why he wasn't with his parents. Plus, during and after the weeks of his hospital stay, people had been treating him like he was made of glass. He wanted to do something without any help. So, with determination, Nico set out down a hallway to find Dorm 24601.

After about twenty minutes of searching, Nico's resolve was definitely waning. On the verge of giving up and finding a staff member, he finally stumbled upon dorms with numbers close to his own. Sighing in relief, Nico walked down the hall until he found the dorm that his schedule had specified. He fished out a key he had been given at the orphanage and unlocked the door. Shoving it open, Nico's nose was assaulted with the smell of smoke. His eyes widened in panic and he quickly found the source of the burning. A boy was standing at a desk, his back to Nico, frantically blowing and fanning the flames, only succeeding in making it roar with more fury.

"Shit!" the teen exclaimed, jumping around and slapping at a part of his pants that had took flame. Nico broke out of his shock and ran fully into the room, pulling his water bottle out of his bag. Nico quickly opened it and poured the water on the burning object on the desk, which seemed to now be a few charred wires and metal parts.

The teen threw his hands up in exasperation "Those were my last Romex cables! I won't be able to get more until this weekend!"

Nico coughed and waved a hand in front of his face in a futile attempt to avoid breathing in more smoke. The doctors had told him his lungs were still weak and that he should stay away from breathing in anything harsh, especially smoke. 'Well, so much for that,' Nico thought bitterly as he turned to face the other teen. The boy had wild, curly black hair. His brown eyes glinted with mischief, matching an impish grin. He seemed all too happy, even after he had nearly burned the room down, and Nico immediately disliked him.

"Who cares about your cables? You could've burned down the whole school! Speaking of which, why didn't the fire alarm go off?" Nico growled angrily. Any threat that the words may have held was nullified by a subsequent coughing fit.

The teen looked a little apologetic while he watched Nico struggle to take a deep breath, but that didn't take the sarcasm out of his answer. "There was barely any smoke. Anyway, it was totally worth it! That was the closest Beethoven has been to working in months!"

Nico finally managed to get his breathing under control, but the smell of smoke still lingered near the desk. Though he was a little confused on what 'Beethoven' the teen was referring to, he decided the enthusiastic teen was probably waiting for him to ask. Instead, Nico walked over to the bed that was devoid of a suitcase and threw his things onto it, sitting next to it and shuffling around his bags contents.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the teen deflate slightly in disappointment, and Nico silently celebrated. He found his IPod and headphones. Nico put them on and turned on his favorite album, wanting to forget about his annoying roommate. He sat back on the bed and stared at the ceiling, blocking out any thoughts. Then, a face wearing an infuriating smile popped up mere inches from his. Nico jumped back in surprise, lost his balance, and fell on the floor with a loud thud.

Nico pulled out his headphones and glared up at the teen who looked _way_ too happy with himself. "What the hell was that for!?"

The curly haired teen put on an innocent look. "Just wanted to get your attention. I'm Leo Valdez, bad boy supreme. And you are?" He held out a hand to help Nico up. He glared at it an hauled himself up without it.

"I'm Nico di Angelo. Now, would you leave me alone?" he growled. Leo sat down on Nico's bed and shrugged. "Probably not. That's not a good way to make friends, my dear Nico."

When Leo got no answer except for a glare, he went on. "How did you get that cast on your arm?" Nico looked down on said cast with distain. It was bulky and covered his left arm from his wrist to elbow. Every time he saw it, jumbled memories of that night came flooding back into his mind. He couldn't wait to get the damn thing off. "Leo, that is _none-"_

"Can I sign it?" Leo cut him off, not noticing the apparent turmoil the topic had sent Nico in.

"Leo, lay off. It's the kid's first day here," a voice suddenly interrupted from the doorway. Both teens looked over. The newcomer had long, straight black hair and striking green eyes. He was tall and lean, the image of a swimmer or runner. His presence had a leader's aura, but his easygoing smile contradicted this. And apparently, he was much better at reading people than Leo. He looked at Nico. "Sorry about our stupid roommate. I guess we both have rotten luck."

"Hey!" Leo protested. Nico gave the newcomer a grateful look.

"I'm Percy Jackson," he introduced himself.

"I'm Nico di Angelo."

"Hey!" Leo whined. "Why didn't _he_ have to torture your name out of you?"

"Because I'm not a jerk, like you." Percy paused for a moment, his eyebrows furrowing. "Do I smell smoke?"

Leo smiled. "Yeah, Beethoven almost worked!"

Percy rolled his eyes. "Dude, you've been trying to get Beethoven to work since last year. No wonder this kid doesn't like you; fire isn't a good way to greet someone."

Leo stood up and said some witty comeback, which Percy answered with an even better one. Nico put his headphones back in and sat down on his bed, ignoring the two. He was grateful to Percy for distracting Leo. His weak lungs still burned from the smoke and his head was throbbing due to the many stiches that had sewed up the large gash that had marred the back of his neck.

After awhile, he faintly heard someone speaking over an intercom, probably calling for lights out, since Percy and Leo then climbed into their respective beds. Nico pulled his headphones out and went to the bathroom to change into clothes to sleep in. He walked back into the room, the other two occupants shrouded in darkness. Nico sighed and got into his bed, trying to not think about how much he longed for his life to go back to the way it was. He closed his eyes and hoped in vain that his sleep wouldn't be plagued by nightmares.

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_Hope that was good. Tell me in the reviews if you want me to continue, thanks for reading! (:_


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry if this took awhile! I usually update faster, but I've been swamped with schoolwork. Anyway, I tried to make it up by writing a long chapter, or at least long compared to my usual updates. Thanks for reading!

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Nico moved towards the door to pull on his sneakers. Suddenly, it swung open, smacking him in the side and sending him teetering off balance. He felt someone grab onto his upper arm before he could fall, steadying his balance. Nico looked up and immediately shrugged off the person, backing away. "Who are you?" he questioned with narrowed eyes.

The stranger stood in the doorway and held up his hands in surrender. The teen was Chinese, big, and broad. Nico would have felt threatened at the muscular teen towering over him if it wasn't for his face. It was round and friendly, not at all matching his body. He looked nervous under Nico's glare, although he was a good foot taller than him. "I'm sorry," he said quickly. "You must be Percy and Leo's new roommate?"

Nico eyed him suspiciously for a moment before deciding that the guy seemed honest. "It's fine," he muttered. "And yeah, my name's Nico."

The large teen looked relieved that Nico had accepted his apology. "I'm Frank Zhang. Good luck rooming with those two," he said, glancing where the other two teens were still sound asleep.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Frank shrugged. "They can be a handful," he said, and Nico noticed the slight change of expression when Frank looked at Leo in particular. He knew that look.

"So, you don't like Leo?"

Frank's eyes widened. "No, no, I do," he insisted, waving his hands in front of him, apparently to emphasize this. Nico gave him and incredulous look. Frank sighed. "Well, sometimes he can do annoying things, but he's our friend..."

Nico almost smiled. It seemed this Frank guy wasn't a total lost cause. He ran a hand through his unruly black hair in an attempt to tame it before giving up and slipping on his sneakers. "Whatever. What are you doing here, anyway?"

"I always have to come here and make sure they wake up before class."

Nico gave him a weird look. "Wow, someone's _way_ too selfless," he muttered under his breath as he grabbed his backpack and schedule. He pushed passed Frank and left the room, not knowing or caring if he had heard his comment or not. A glance at the clock told him that he still had half an hour until class started. 'Well, might as well get a feel of this place before class,' he mused, walking up to the top floor.

Based on the interior of the school, one would never guess they were in the heart of New York City, if it wasn't for the busy sound of the street that leaked through the walls constantly. The whole place was stone with marble floors, the doors wooden with fancy designs covering the frames. When Nico reached the top floor, he noticed one door all the way at the end of the hall that wasn't made of wood. It was metal and old, with a rather outdated looking lock on it. In front of the door was a tall boy with blonde hair, who kept glancing at it with worry. Nico shoved his hands in his pockets and approached the teen.

"What are you waiting here for?" Nico asked in a bored tone.

The blonde teen eyed him with a piercing blue stare, before seemingly deciding that Nico wasn't a threat. "I left something on the roof," he said, jerking his thumb towards the metal door. "I'm waiting for my friend to bring the key they stole. You should go."

Nico raised an eyebrow. The blonde had told him to go like he was used to people listening when he told them to do things. 'Well, I'm certainly not going to listen. Anyway, that lock looks simple...' Nico walked passed the blonde to examine the lock, causing the stranger to frown.

"Hey," the blonde protested. "You know that wasn't really a suggestion..."

Nico ignored him. After examining the old lock for a few moments, he smirked. It really was too easy. Nico reached into his bag and felt around until he found a paper clip. Pulling it out, he unbent it so it was a straight line. 'Perfect.' Nico shoved the unbent paper clip into the lock's key hole.

The blonde narrowed his eyes. "Hey, I don't know if you're new here, but two people crouching near the entrance of the roof at the end of an otherwise deserted hallway looks pretty suspicious. It'll be a lot easier..." He trailed off when he heard a soft click resound throughout the hallway's walls.

Nico slipped the now open lock off of the door and tossed it to the blonde, who barely managed to catch it between gawking at him. "Now you don't have to wait." He turned and began walking back towards the stairs.

The blonde stood in shock for another moment before calling out, "Wait!" Nico stopped and turned his head back to the teen. "I'm Jason Grace. Thanks for doing that... Conner isn't really reliable when it comes to favors. I owe you one."

Nico thought about that for a moment before he glanced at a nearby clock. Class started in fifteen minutes. "Well, actually I am new. Can you show me where my first class is?" He didn't really want to ask for Jason's help, but he figured that based on the difficulty he had locating his dorm room, it would take twice as long for him to find his class.

"Sure. Wait here a minute." The blonde turned and walked out onto the roof. When he came back, he had a sweatshirt slung over his shoulder. Sliding the lock back on the door, Jason walked back to Nico. "So, where's your first class?" Nico handed him his schedule, which Jason glanced over. "You're taking Mechanics?"

Nico winced. "Yeah. I kind of enrolled last minute, and all the other electives were full..."

Jason nodded. "That makes sense. Anyway, your class is this way." The pair set off down the hallway. They walked in silence for a few minutes, which Nico didn't mind. He didn't really want to talk to anyone, and was wondering why he even picked the lock for Jason in the first place. Probably because it reminded him of his old life, when his cousin had taught him how.

Seeming to read his train of thought, Jason asked, "Where did you learn to pick locks like that? It's pretty useful."

Nico shrugged. "I picked it up somewhere," he answered cryptically, definitely not keen on elaborating. Jason seemed a little disappointed that Nico didn't take the bait for conversation, but didn't try again. After another minute or two, they reached a classroom, the sound of machines whirring seeping through the door.

"This is Mechanics. Are you gonna be okay finding the rest of your classes?" Jason asked.

Nico nodded. "I'll be fine. And... thanks."

Jason waved him off. "It was no problem. Thanks for unlocking the roof. By the way, I don't think you told me your name."

Nico hesitated for a moment, before answering, "Nico di Angelo."

Jason began walking down the hallway. "Well, Nico, I'm gonna give you a fair warning. Don't sit near the guy with curly black hair; you'll know which one."

Before Nico could ask Jason what he meant, the blonde disappeared in the crowd of people rushing to their classes. He turned and walked into the class. The walls were lined with hanging tools, and the back of the room was clustered with machinery. The desks were made of unfinished wood, seating two students each. It seemed Nico was later than he had thought he was, because only one desk was left empty.

Apparently, he didn't have to worry about what Jason's warning was about; he didn't have any choices anyway. He walked over and plopped down with a sigh at the empty desk. He would rather have to take an extra _Calculus _class than this. The bell rang, and the mutterings of the class stopped. A teacher with protective goggles hanging around his neck paced the front of the room.

"Alright, I'm Mr. Pald, and this class is going to have no nonsense. You all chose this for your elective, so I don't want anything less than your best work." Nico frowned. He _hadn't_ had a choice with this class. "So," Mr. Pald went on, while writing his name on the board. "During this course-"

The classroom door burst open, revealing a panting Leo Valdez. "Don't worry," he reassured the class, "I'm here." Nico almost smirked as he thought about how Frank must have struggled to wake his two roommates, before he realized the only available seat in the class was next to _him._

Leo looked around the room and grinned like a madman when he spotted Nico and the empty chair next to him. Looking way too pleased, Leo shut the classroom door behind him and strolled over to Nico, plopping in the seat with an infuriating waggle of his eyebrows. "Wow, never thought you would like Mechanics, considering the way you threw water on Beethoven like that," he muttered, low enough for only Nico to hear.

Nico glared at him. "The thing was on _fire, _and you certainly had no idea-"

"Mr. Valdez," the teacher called.

Leo saluted. "Yes Mr..." he squinted at the name scrawled on the board. "Bald?"

The teacher narrowed his eyes. "Mr. _Pald_."

Leo tilted his head to one side. "Oh. Could've fooled me, you know, considering..." Leo gestured to the Mechanics teacher's hairless head.

Mr. Pald frowned. "Detention Mr. Valdez. You were late."

Leo shrugged. "Blame Frank." The teacher ignored the comment and continued going over the basic rules of using the machinery. Leo seemed bored at the simple guidelines, because he started bothering Nico, who was trying to ignore him. It worked pretty well, until Nico heard a scratching sound. He glanced over and discovered that the teen next to him was quickly scrawling a sloppy 'Leo' on his cast.

"What the hell?!" Nico seethed, louder than he had meant to.

The teacher stopped his lecturing and glared at him. "You can join Mr. Valdez in detention," he glanced at his attendance sheet, "Mr. di Angelo."

Nico returned his glare. "But I-"

"Make that_ two_ detentions."

Before Nico could protest, the bell rang. He heard Leo saying something behind him, but he was already stomping out of the room. For the rest of the day, Nico didn't pay attention in his classes, at least, the classes he could _find_. It seemed his Global classroom didn't exist, so Nico picked the lock and hung out on the roof instead for the forty minutes of class.

Nico could understand why Jason had been out on the roof. You could see New York City's skyscrapers brushing the clouds all around you. The windows glinted in the sun's rays, and it illuminated the roof in a curious way that Nico had never seen. From that high up, you couldn't even hear the sounds of the constant traffic, the wind drowning out any noise that opposed it.

When Nico heard the bell ring faintly from inside, he debated if he should just stay on the roof or not. He checked his schedule and discovered he had lunch next. Deciding he was too cold to stay out there, Nico relocked the roof and started the trek to find the cafeteria.

The cafeteria ended up being much easier to locate than his Global class was. He walked into the bustling, table filled room. He pushed through the crowds, trying to find a nice, secluded table. Nico wanted nothing more than to clear his mind from anything, whether it be the detentions Leo brought upon him or his _bigger_ problems. But that was a path Nico could even think to go down.

Suddenly, Nico felt someone grab his shoulder. He shrugged them off and turned around quickly, ready to confront some annoying bully. Instead, he was met with the smiling face of Percy. "Hey, come sit with us," he insisted. Nico wanted to say no, but the hopeful look in Percy's face made it impossible.

"Fine," he conceded. He thought he heard Percy mutter, 'Works on everyone', but decided to ignore it. He followed Percy to a table, which had only one other occupant. She was a girl with cinnamon brown, curly hair. Percy sat down across from her and motioned Nico to sit next to him. Sighing inwardly, Nico complied.

"Nico," he said, "This is Hazel Levesque. Hazel, this is Nico di Angelo."

Her brow furrowed for a moment, before she smiled. "Nice to meet you, Nico," she said.

"You too," Nico said, deciding to be polite since Hazel seemed nice enough.

Slowly, the table filled up with a few others. Percy waited to introduce Nico to them until seemingly everyone had arrived. "Guys," he said, "this is Nico di Angelo. He's roommates with me and Leo."

"We met," Jason and Frank said in unison, and then shared a sharp look.

A girl with choppy brown hair sighed. "Jason, don't you dare say jinx, or I'll break up with you. Remember what happened with you and Percy last time?"

Percy laughed. "Man, that got intense. Anyway, how did you meet already?"

"Well, I left my sweatshirt on the roof last Friday-"

"Like he does every time," Hazel muttered.

"-and I was waiting for Conner to bring the roof's key. But then Nico walks up and just picks the lock."

The girl who had berated Jason looked impressed. "Really? Where did you learn to do that? I'm Piper, by the way."

Nico stared down at the table as he felt everyone's eyes on him, awaiting an answer. He hated having attention on him, and during the last few weeks, that seemed like the only thing he would get, whether it be nurses or authorities. "I picked it up somewhere," he mumbled, giving them the same vague answer he had given Jason.

Heads nodded, and the group began talking about miscellaneous topics. He felt someone put their hand on his shoulder, and he quickly looked up from the table to discover Percy giving him a small, reassuring smile. Nico felt a knot of uneasiness he hadn't known was there untangle, and was grateful for the green eyed teen. Then, he spotted two people making their way over to their table, and immediately scowled. Percy saw this, followed his gaze, and chuckled.

Walking towards them was Leo and a blonde girl that Nico didn't know. He sighed, not ready to deal with Leo's antics yet. The two reached the table. "Hey Annabeth!" Percy said excitedly, causing her to smile slightly. He slid over a little, and she sat on his other side. "This is Nico, our new roommate."

Annabeth looked at him and smiled politely. "Hi, Nico. I'm Annabeth." Nico nodded and tried to ignore the look that he felt Leo giving him. The teen made Piper move over and sat across from him. Nico stopped ignoring him and gave him his best glare he could. The tables occupants looked over and noticed the death glare Nico was giving Leo.

Jason looked at Leo skeptically. "Leo, what did you do to make Nico hate you already? I think that's a new record."

Leo raised his hands in innocence. "Hey, I didn't do anything. The little guy just hates me for no reason."

Nico growled at the word 'little.' Leo was only an inch, maybe two taller than him. Jason looked to Nico instead. "So, what'd he do?"

Although all eyes were on him again, Nico found he didn't care as much this time, annoyance winning over. "I had to sit next to him in Mechanics."

Jason winced. "That's rough," he said sympathetically.

Leo frowned. "Hey!"

Everyone continued on talking, and Nico thought he might actually be able to get through the period by just ignoring Leo. But, of course, that would be too easy.

"So, Nico, what got you landed in boarding school?" Leo asked out of the blue. For the third time, the rest of the conversations at the table stilted, and they waited inquisitively for an answer. Nico's eyes widened, and he was caught off guard for a second at the sudden question. Then his eyes narrowed. "Leo, that's none of your business," he growled.

Leo tilted is head to one side. "Oh, come on, we all have our reasons. What, is it an angry father who wanted a few months of freedom?" Nico's hands clenched into fists. Everyone else's eyes widened. "Leo, that's-" Frank started, but he was already going on.

"Or is it your mom-"

Nico suddenly stood up, slamming his fists on the table and causing everyone to jump. "Valdez, if you knew what was good for you, you would shut the hell up," he growled in a dangerously calm voice. Before anyone could say anything, Nico turned around and stomped out of the cafeteria, his hands tight fists at his sides and gritting his teeth.

Leo Valdez needed to learn his place.

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Thanks for all your feedback(: Next chapter you'll probably get to see detention! Please tell me if anyone is OOC. By the way, in my story, I just made everyone the same age. It's easier(:


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